Sexual Activity Can Trigger Asthma

Author: American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
Author Contact: acaai.org
Published: 13th Nov 2022
Peer-Reviewed Publication: Yes
Additional References: Sexual Health Information Publications

Summary: A new study being presented shows that sex can be an undiagnosed trigger for asthma exacerbations.

Definition

Asthma

Asthma is a disease that affects your lungs. It is one of the children's most common long-term diseases, but adults can have asthma, too. Asthma causes wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing at night or early in the morning. Being exposed to things in the environment, like mold or dampness, some allergens such as dust mites, and secondhand tobacco smoke have been linked to developing asthma. Air pollution and viral lung infection may also lead to asthma.

Occupational asthma occurs when someone who never had asthma develops it because they are exposed to something at work. This can happen if you develop an allergy to something such as mold or if you are exposed to irritants such as wood dust or chemicals at work over and over at lower levels or all at once at higher levels.

An asthma attack may include coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, and trouble breathing. The attack happens in your body's airways, which are the paths that carry air to your lungs. As the air moves through your lungs, the airways become smaller, like the branches of a tree are smaller than the tree trunk. During an asthma attack, the sides of the airways in your lungs swell, and the airways shrink. Less air gets in and out of your lungs, and your body's mucous clogs up the airways.

Main Document

How Allergists are Saving Marriages: A Review on Sexual Intercourse Presenting as Exercise-Induced Asthma

When people with asthma wonder what forms of exercise might cause an asthma flare, they may not take sexual relations into account. A new study being presented at this year's American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Louisville, KY, shows that sex can be an undiagnosed trigger for asthma exacerbations.

"We wanted to investigate whether case studies on asthma exacerbations mentioned sexual activity as a possible cause," said Ariel Leung, MD, an ACAAI member and lead author of the study. "Many people don't realize that the energy expenditure of sexual activity is equivalent to walking up two flights of stairs. Reported cases are infrequent, possibly because those suffering an asthma flare may not realize the trigger."

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The study collected available literature on sexual intercourse as an underdiagnosed trigger for asthma exacerbations. The authors searched the PUBMED database for keywords, including "sexual intercourse OR honeymoon asthma OR sexual behavior AND allergy OR allergic reaction."

"Another possible cause of underreporting of this condition is the intimate nature of the subject," says allergist A.M. Aminian, MD, an ACAAI member and co-author of the study.

"People may not be comfortable discussing with their allergist an asthma flare that was caused by sex. But allergists are specialists in diagnosing, treating, and managing asthma. If anyone could guide a patient in avoiding an asthma flare in the future, it would be their allergist. When sexual activity-induced asthma is properly identified and treated, allergists are better able to improve their patient's quality of life."

Abstract Title: How Allergists are Saving Marriages: A Review on Sexual Intercourse Presenting as Exercise-Induced Asthma

References and Source(s):

Sexual Activity Can Trigger Asthma | American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (acaai.org). SexualDiversity.org makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith. Content may have been edited for style, clarity or length.

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